Blue was once little-known in the Western palette. Homer’s sea was “wine dark”; blue would not be used as water’s color until the seventeenth century. It has evolved from its original association with warmth, heat, barbarism, and the creatures of the underworld, to its current association with calm, peace, and reverie.

This spectacular image of the Carina nebula reveals the dynamic cloud of interstellar matter and thinly spread gas and dust as never before. The massive stars in the interior of this cosmic bubble emit intense radiation that causes the surrounding gas to glow. By contrast, other regions of the nebula contain dark pillars of dust cloaking newborn stars.

New Years “resolutions”: More fruit, less bread. More sleep, less TV. More exercise, less sitting. More appreciation, less worrying. More understanding, less complaining. Small goals and modest changes. Have a great New Years everyone, and be safe out there. “There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”

Barns are painted red because red paint is cheap. Red paint is cheap because iron is plentiful. Iron is plentiful because it is the final element formed in the death of a star. So if anyone asks you to explain why barns are red using the properties of stars… there you go.

“The innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast.”

“I’’m not being rude but you’d be the first to admit that you’re not a very logical thinker.”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“You still don’t properly understand what happened in Ocean’s Eleven, do you?”
“It’s a complicated film.”
“It really isn’t.”